Kevin had been “involved” with the criminal justice system for his entire adult life. By the time he was 32, he had been incarcerated nine times for offenses ranging from shoplifting to larceny. Like 70–80 percent of inmates remanded to the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, Kevin has substance use disorder (SUD) and was trapped in an endless cycle of using drugs, getting arrested, serving time, and being released.

The officer who contacted Kevin explained how the HOPE Initiative could be involved with his recovery and could help keep him from continuing to cycle through addiction and incarceration. Kevin became a HOPE Initiative client, and today, over two years later, he has completed the HOPE Initiative program, has not been arrested again, maintains full-time employment, provides for his family, and is rebuilding his personal relationships. Kevin’s story of recovery and redemption is just one of many from the HOPE Initiative.